| Schools of Opportunity | |
| Founder: | Carol Corbett Burris[1] |
| Location: | Boulder, Colorado |
| Country: | United States |
| Website: | https://www.schoolsofopportunity.org/ |
Schools of Opportunity is a project that aims to recognize public high schools that minimize opportunity gaps with outstanding education.[2] The National Education Policy Center, a non-profit education policy research center, created Schools of Opportunity as a project in 2014.[3]
The Schools of Opportunity project gives annual "gold" and "silver" recognition to schools in the United States.[4] The project seeks to recognize those high schools that follow practices such as supporting students' physical and psychological health, having outreach to the community, and having a broad, enriched curriculum.[5] It is built on criteria set forth in the 2013 book, Closing the Opportunity Gap.[6]
The Schools of Opportunity project believes that high quality schools are those that use research-based practices, and that standardized testing mainly reflects the student's learning opportunities outside of school; therefore, the project does not focus on how effective the school is.[7] [8] That is, the project illustrates an alternative to ranking systems based on test score, which overwhelmingly reward schools that serve wealthy or cherry-picked student bodies.[9] Schools submit initial applications explaining and documenting why they should be recognized with a reward. Then, after two online reviews and one school visit, the gold and silver recognitions are announced. In order to qualify for recognition, the school must be a public or charter school; it must enroll high school students; at least 10% of the school must qualify for free or reduced priced lunch; the percentage of students with Individualized Education Programs must not fall 2 or more points below the district where the school is located; the school must commit to ensuring all students have access to rich, challenging but supported learning opportunities; and it must be committed to non-exclusionary discipline practices.[10] While designated Schools of Opportunity do not receive extra funding, the directors of the project hope for them to serve as role models for other peers.[11]
Schools of Opportunity was founded in 2014 in New York and Colorado by the National Education Policy Center and expanded across the United States in 2015.[12] The project has been funded by, among others, the Ford Foundation, the NEA Foundation, and Voqal.[13]
| Centaurus High School | Gold | |
| Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School | Gold | |
| Grand Valley High School | Gold | |
| Jefferson County Open School | Gold | |
| Malverne High School | Gold | |
| Center High School | Silver | |
| Charles D’Amico High School | Silver | |
| Durango High School | Silver | |
| Eastridge High School | Silver | |
| Elwood – John H. Glenn High School | Silver | |
| Fox Lane High School | Silver | |
| Harrison High School | Silver | |
| Long Beach High School | Silver | |
| Long View High School | Silver | |
| Mapleton Early College High School | Silver | |
| Sleepy Hollow High School | Silver | |
| Sunset Park High School | Silver |
| Crater Renaissance Academy | Gold | |
| Hillsdale High School | Gold | |
| Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School | Gold | |
| Rainier Beach High School | Gold | |
| Revere High School | Gold | |
| Rochester International Academy | Gold | |
| South Side High School | Gold | |
| William Smith High School | Gold | |
| Boston Arts Academy | Silver | |
| Cedar Shoals High School | Silver | |
| Clarke Central High School | Silver | |
| East Rockaway High School | Silver | |
| New Vista High | Silver | |
| Northwest High School | Silver | |
| Oakland International High | Silver | |
| Ossining High School | Silver | |
| Quilcene High School | Silver | |
| Stillman Valley High School | Silver | |
| Urbana High School | Silver | |
| Washington Technology Magnet School | Silver |
| Broome Street Academy Charter High School | Gold | |
| Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences | Gold | |
| Denver South High School | Gold | |
| Health Sciences High & Middle College | Gold | |
| Lincoln High School | Gold | |
| Seaside High School | Gold | |
| Hammond High School | Silver | |
| William C. Hinkley High School | Silver |
| Casco Bay High School | Gold | |
| Clark Street Community School | Gold | |
| Native American Community Academy | Gold | |
| Pocomoke High School | Gold | |
| Salt Lake Center for Science Education | Gold | |
| Social Justice Humanitas | Gold | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Early College | Silver |